Veteran Factory Manager Swaps Electronics and Pharmaceuticals for Wood

Factory manager Timo Rouvinen shows clear satisfaction with the new laminated veneer lumber plant under construction in Äänekoski. The 400-meter-long facility represents a 300 million euro investment progressing exactly on schedule. Contractors handed over the building after final inspections in mid-September. Test runs began on the first production line in early October, with first products packaged just weeks later. Installation of the second production line has now started, with full operational capacity expected by the second half of next year. Approximately 100 workers have already transferred from two nearby veneer factories scheduled for closure. The new plant will eventually employ 140-150 people total. This strategic shift from high-tech manufacturing to wood processing reflects Finland's evolving industrial priorities, though the long-term viability of such massive investments remains to be proven.